Never to Be Again
by SeeminglyAngelic
Summary: Why was it that he haunted her every waking moment? Why did he have to come in between such a perfect Hollywood engagement? Why didn't he seem to think of her? Most of all, what was he doing with Nikki? Epilogue up!
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer: The characters and settings are completely disclaimed.**

**AN: Yay a one-shot! I'm torturing you. (Thank you DC, and can you review me to say if it's still rushed?)**

The couple walked proudly through the Block estate, holding hands. He was in a black designer suit and a gold Rolex watch. She had her blonde hair put in an extravagant bun, with diamonds laced in it. Her dress was knee-length and gold, and she looked like she had just come back from getting an Oscar.

"You look so fabulous!" the hostess smiled, hugging her gold-clad friend. "I ah-dore the diamonds in the hair thing. So cute!"

"Thanks Mass," she replied, flashing a Chiclets smile. "And I love the plum! Versace?"

"It's wine-colored, and it's Louis Vuitton," Massie Block replied calmly enough, before her tone changed. "So, are you going to be okay?" Her amber eyes flashed nervously, and she was just as protective as the girl knew her to be.

Massie's friend twisted her bracelet nervously. "Yeah, I think I can handle seeing them." She gripped the boy's hand tighter. "Let's go inside."

"Look who stopped by!" Massie called. She escorted the couple into the large, modern living room.

All of the guests were seated on the couches surrounding a glass and ebony coffee table in the center. The girls were on one side, catching up on gossip and laughing. The boys were opposite them, talking about sports and whatever it is boys talk about. But she didn't have eyes for the. The blonde scanned the room. There was no sign of the people she was looking for.

"I love the shoes!" Alicia Rivera called. She wiggled her fingers in an attempt at a wave, and seemed to expect a compliment.

"Nice suit, dude," Derrick Harrington smirked. Massie elbowed him, causing him to spill the sparkling cider he was holding all over himself.

"It looks like he wet himself!" Josh Hotz suddenly blurt out. Alicia leaned over the coffee table and smacked his arm. That sent the room into much needed hysterics. The tension was easing slightly, until someone interrupted.

"What's so funny?"

The guests turned to face the speaker. The girl in gold gripped her date's hand tighter and locked eyes with the other man in the blue. Sky blue eyes stared nervously into Green-and-blue ones.

"Claire, Conner." the boy in blue nodded politely.

"Cam, Nikki." Claire focused on the hem of her dress.

"I love the dress!" the girl holding Cam's arm smiled. Claire nodded and mumbled something about how Cam and Nikki were both wearing navy. The room filled with discomfort and Josh coughed loudly.

The four took their seats on some extra sitting chairs, and pretended to be a part of the conversation, each one secretly hoping no drama would start.

Claire kept her eyes on her shoes, and laughed dryly whenever someone made a joke. Conner seemed to be having a great time. If only she could. It was kind of funny, the other girls could make it look like they weren't interested at all, but it was the actress out of the group who couldn't even act like she was over a boy. Claire clenched her fists, and reminded herself not to look.

She found herself looking however, and realized that there was one green eye, and one blue eye looking back at her.


	2. After The Party

**Disclaimer: The plot of this story is a creation of AMLB Incorporated. Yeah and the rest belongs to Lisi Harrison and whatnot -sigh-**

**AN: Here it is!!!**

After the party was all done, and the rest of the guests were all filing out, Claire lagged behind, wanting to catch one last glimpse of her ex. It was a strange feeling. She didn't love him….right? I mean, she was happy with Conner, it was all perfect. _Nothing really ever is perfect_ Claire thought to herself. Either way, she wanted one final look, one to remind her that they could never be again.

"Hey, Claire, you okay?" Conner broke her train of thought. It was the first time he'd spoken directly at her since the party had actually started.

"Oh, yeah. Just tired," Claire lied. She threw in a yawn for believability.

"Hold on a sec," he took his new Blackberry out of his pocket, and checked the caller ID. Claire couldn't really see it, but she saw that whoever was calling's name started with an S. "I've got to take this," Conner cut through her thoughts once again, and headed off to the kitchen, where he began talking to S in a hushed tone.

"Uh Claire," it was Cam this time. Claire wondered why he was talking to her, until she realized she was blocking his coat.

"Sorry," her eyes darted nervously towards the floor.

"It's okay. Well, I heard you and Conner are getting married. When?" he sounded extremely casual, which kind of made Claire feel bad. Some part of her heart was listening hopefully for some hint of jealousy. Why would he be jealous if he was here with _her_?

"May," Claire smiled weakly. "We're not sure the exact date yet, but I'm inviting you guys."

"I see."

_I see_? _That's all I get? Why aren't you begging for me back? Stop it Claire, you're with Conner! So?_

"But you're happy together!" Claire said to herself. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yeah, you kind of did," Cam laughed.

_How embarrassing._

"Any news here?" Claire asked hopefully. Hopeful that Nikki's name wouldn't come up once, unless she was leaving.

_Why do you keep doing that? You're happy with Conner, just like he's probably happy with….with…._her.

"Well, Alicia and Josh got married last July, you missed it. I heard Derrick's going to propose, and Dylan broke up with Plovert. She's with Hurley now."

"What about you?" she managed to choke out.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine."

"You going to pro-pro……..?"

"Propose? I don't know. Just not now," Cam looked away when he said that. Maybe that was a sign. Nikki was soon next to him again, asking him if he could go to the kitchen and get some of the Zete Massie was giving out.

That left Claire and Nikki to face each other.

--

"Of course I'll be there," Conner whispered into his Blackberry. "Just a little holdup, I'll be on my way soon. Course. C'mon, you know me better than that!"

"Who're you talking to?"

Conner turned to see Cam, and nearly wet his pants. "Don't sneak up on me man!"

"So, who was that?"

"Why do you care?" Conner asked. He was supposed to sound normal, but the tone of his voice was suspicious. "And it's just somebody organizing the third Dial L series reunion."

"Sure," Cam said, picking up an orderve. "Organizing."


	3. Claire?

**Disclaimer: Bla bla bla, it's not mine, yada yada, it's Lisi's, bla bla. Let's get on to the cliffy, shall we?**

"_**S**_o, you're Claire," Nikki flashed a smile.

"So, you're Nikki," Claire tried to smile back, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth.

"Yeah, so when are you and Conner getting married?"

"That's funny, Cam asked me the same thing," Claire's tone suggested that she hadn't found that funny at all. She flashed a Chiclets smile and waited for a response.

"Thought he would," Nikki smiled. "He's expecting an invite." At the very second she said that, Cam reappeared, holding a plate covered in tin foil. "Well, I'll see you 'round, kay?"

_Bet on it! _Claire thought angrily to herself. _I _will_ be there._

Conner rejoined her at that moment, and she flashed her fake Hollywood smile once more, and headed out the front door to the guest house, where they'd be staying.

--

_**C**_laire knew better than this – the hard way. So why do it again? That was the whole reason she had decided to leave for LA in the first place!

_Old habits die hard._

Boy was that true, she found herself thinking. S, S, S, Claire, S, S, S, S, S, S, Claire, and S. That was what the list looked like mostly. Who was this "S" anyway? Closing the LG chocolate, Claire gently placed it back on the kitchen table, where Conner had left it.

Conner entered at that exact moment, not noticing that Claire had just looked through his phone.

"Hey Misses," he smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. Claire put on a genuine-looking smile, and hugged him.

"Breakfast is in the microwave," she smiled weakly. Conner nodded and warmed up the bacon and egg sandwich. Claire walked over to the living room, and let her mind wander.

"_Here, its opal, your birthstone," Conner had said on the day she found the ring. It was in the bottom of her champagne glass at Le Crabe Rouge, one of the newer fancy French restaurants._

"_Thanks!" Claire smiled. But, opal wasn't her birthstone. She was born in August. It was a peridot. She let it slide however, and continued to say yes._

Now she was wondering….was opal the birthstone for this "S" person?

--

_**C**_am ignored Chris Plovert's screaming. He ignored it when they practically threw the popcorn all over the floor in their hysterics. He ignored the fact that Conner and Kemp almost dog piled him over a stupid comment. Cam just wasn't that into the game today.

"Dude, what is your problem?" Derrick asked, raising an eyebrow. "That was _the_ best dunk I've seen in years!" He pushed him. "Dude?"

Cam just shrugged. Something didn't feel right. It was weird.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, the girls were talking about whatever it was that girls usually did.

"So Kuh-laire, when can I expect an invite?" Massie asked smugly. She took a sip from the crystal martini glass – even though they were just drinking Perrier.

Claire suddenly looked up from her glass, snapping back into reality from whatever it was she was thinking about. "Huh?"

"When are we getting invited to the wedding?"

"Oh! I'm not sure. All I know is it's going to be in May," Claire smiled. "And I'm going to pick out the bridesmaid's dresses today."

Kristen, Dylan, Alicia, and Massie all perked up.

"Remember what we did for the prom?" Dylan asked. "Where Massie wore gold, and the rest of us wore bronze? It looked so fabulous!" She sighed contentedly, remembering the glittery eye shadow and complementing tones. "Oh right! Claire wasn't there, she went to LA!"

Claire felt her face get hot. "Sorry. Did you guys have a fifth though?"

"No," Kristen explained. "She was too mad at you back then. But that _was_ cruel. Just because you had some love life problems, you left us all behind." Her attempt at hiding bitterness wasn't a success.

"Well what's important is that we're all here now," Massie gave Kristen a harsh glare, before giving a phony smile to Nikki. "Has Cam said anything about the wedding?"

_He probably threw a fit and that's why he's not out there screaming huh?_ Claire found herself reluctantly wishing.

"Not a word. Just asked me if the invites came," Nikki said this casually.

Cam ignored the girls talking in the kitchen, and tried to focus on the game. His team was winning, twenty-nine to three. But that didn't excite him. No, he was bored out of his mind. And driving was even worse. What was wrong here?

He knew he wasn't into the roller coaster thing with Claire anymore, but…

Of all the single dudes in the universe…

Conner Foley? And he'd thought she had better taste than that.

"Are you feeling okay?" Nikki asked, giving him a sad look.

"No, it's nothing," he insisted.

"Sure?"

"YES I'M SURE CLAIRE," Cam repeated forcefully.

Nikki's kind expression hardened, and so did the look in her eyes. "Kuh-laire?"

**AN: DUN DUN DUN!!!! I will update this one soon.**


	4. Over

**Disclaimer: BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA-BLA **

**AN: THE ANSWER YOU'VE WAITED FOR IS HERE!!!! **

_Previously on Never To Be Again: _

_"YES I'M SURE CLAIRE!" _

_"Kuh-laire?" _

**_C_**am blinked rapidly, realizing his mistake. That was the _one_ thing you _never_ _ever_ do. The name flub was probably one of the top ten ways to get yourself killed by Nikki's big, stronger-than-thou brothers. And Cam liked his face the way it was arranged currently, thank you very much.

"No! I didn't mean that!" Cam stuttered. What was more dangerous? Getting dog piled by three big Quarterback-sized boys, or getting scratched, slapped, and kicked… "i_n a way"_…by someone wearing high heels.

"Uh-huh. Do you _really_ think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?" Nikki snapped.

"It's just that I was annoyed!" Cam stammered. There were two things Harris had warned him about:

_1: _Making a girl take off her earrings.

_2: _Not having an excuse.

"Mm-hmm. Sure."

"Yeah! She used to nag me all the time!"

"So now I'm nagging you?" Nikki asked, folding her arms stubbornly. Okay, this was so uncalled for. And it wasn't supposed to happen. "Are you going to answer?"

Enough time passed for the Jeopardy theme song.

"No, it was just a stupid mistake. Nothing, really," Cam hoped it would work. Calling her Claire was a mistake – nobody flubbed names on purpose. Unless they were trying to irk someone (which he wasn't).

Nikki rolled her eyes. " Cam?"

"What?"

"Car keys."

--

**_M_**eanwhile, Chris, Kemp, Claire, Josh, Alicia, Massie, Derrick, and Conner watched the scene from outside, either smirking, in awe, or just being nosy.

"Do you think this'll end well?" Claire asked nervously. She wasn't sure if she was nervous because Cam's being single would mean him searching for someone else, or if it was because he had actually called Nikki by her name.

"They don't fight _that_ much," Derrick yawned. He was one of the people who were watching just because everyone else was. "She'll have to find a new place which means they'll be living together. I'll give them a week."

Josh and Chris laughed at that, knowing that Derrick was right. Claire deflated. Oh great. More battles between her conscience and her free will.

People had always said listen to your heart, not your brain. But your brain was the thing you'd use to stop and see before you did something idiotic, like say, going to LA when you knew that you would've made up with a boyfriend with a genetic mutation resulting in mismatched eyes (cough!). Generally of course. Your heart was an impulse thing. And right now, she was fighting the impulse to start dancing.

So to fight that little impulse, Claire drummed her fingers on the wall, smirking to herself.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

Before she knew it, Claire was being pulled by the collar of her DKNY tee.

"You like him," Massie smirked, folding her arms. Her amber eyes flickered, and Claire knew she was cornered.

"No I don't. I'm with Conner, we're getting engaged," Claire replied defiantly. Even though she was cornered, she wasn't going to give it up so easily.

"You still like him, but you just won't admit it. And I bet you didn't think about him until I held that reunion."

_How is Massie so accurate? _

"Puh-leez Mass," Claire smiled vaguely. "Why would I want him? I've got Conner!"

"So I see." She wasn't buying it.

--

**_"I_**'m taking the limo," Nikki announced early the next morning. She had stayed in the guest room, like she was a visitor.

"What? Why?" Cam grumbled, groggily making his way over to the coffee machine. The sound of it boiling water and grinding the beans was soothing. How Nikki was ready so early was a mystery.

"I'm going to look at real estate, duh," Nikki rolled her eyes. "What was the driver's name again? James? Edward?"

"Regis," Cam answered tiredly. The burn of hot mocha soon woke him up.

"I'll be back…maybe."

"You were serious?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow. Okay, that was unexpected. She was never usually serious about stuff like that. Nikki stopped in her tracks and gave him a _what-do-you-think_ look. "Isn't that a little unreasonable?"

Nikki tapped her chin as if she were thinking. "Uh….no."

And she was out the door.

--

**_D_**errick shook his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was like Cam was doomed to a life full of messed-up relationships. Maybe it was some kind of retarded chain mail that he had broken a long time ago.

"Just walked out like that!" Cam finished dramatically, earning awed silence from Josh and Derrick.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Josh asked. "Didn't you read that email Kristen forwarded to everyone? The: _A real boyfriend_? You're supposed to go after girls when they leave. Smarticle."

The other guys nodded their agreement, and Cam rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"It's hard to think of some girly perfect-BF list when it's early in the morning and haven't even had a sip of coffee yet," Cam snapped. He ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. _Incompetence._ _Wow. That sounded all business-dude like._

The other guys just gave him smirks. Cam was about the only one who drank coffee like that.

"Shut. Up."

"Coffee is your drug man," Derrick grinned. "Well, either way you're all alone! And it's such a shame! Massie was hiring that weirdo; I think her name was Landon or something. And it was for a _couple's_ party."

_More couples trash? Wasn't Skye's party bad enough?_

Josh concealed the smirk he was hiding, but Cam knew he was still smug about the whole thing. Derrick made no effort whatsoever to hide his loud laughter. Why was it that your own friends took pleasure in your misery? Not that he hadn't done the same to them, but still! Eighth grade was over now!

"I'm tired of talking about this, how's your life going?" Cam asked tiredly.

"Good," Derrick yawned. "She's always dropping hints though. 'Like ehmahgawsh, everyone's like getting pro-_pooooosed_ but me!' Like I didn't notice. Besides," He reached in the pocket of his khaki shorts and pulled out a red Nine West box. "I've got the ring right here."

The three all glanced at the diamond ring, nodded politely, and then went back to flipping through channels.

"Cowboys vs. Jets?" Josh asked in a monotone.

"Nah," Cam and Derrick chorused.

"Best of last season's games?"

"Meh."

"_Days of Our Lives?_"

"You're joking right?"

"No duh," Josh leaned on the couch and tossed the remote. "Nothing's _oooooon_. Why do they have to go shopping all day?" The other two nodded their agreement.

"Okay then, let's spend this leftover time doing something important," Derrick sighed. "Planning _my_ engagement."

"I'd rather die. Maybe laughing at whatever problems _you_ have next time," Cam joked.

"Entertaining me like the little monkeys you are," Josh smiled innocently, to get a microwave-warmed hotdog thrown at his head. "Oh! You missed!"


	5. Proposal

**Disclaimer:**** Who actually owns the clique? Jeopardy Theme Times up! Who is Lisi Harrison? **

**AN: Your choice people: M or B. Will I tell you what they stand for? Ha! No! It can't be clichéd / biased like that. Otherwise, sorry this sucks so badly. (. I had to get this proposal over with.**

--

_**D**_errick tapped his fingers impatiently. If this was going to work, she needed to hurry up and order the drink already.

Unfortunately, she was scrolling down the list, like she was trying to pick out the most elegant drink that they offered at_ Le Crabe Rouge_. Couldn't she ever just settle for a plain old glass of water or something? Since she was _so_ worried about hygiene and health?

But no, her amber eyes still scrutinized the menu.

8:29 PM: Meaning that Josh, Kemp, Chris, and Cam wouldn't have much longer before they had to leave. Yes, Derrick had wanted this day to be _so_ special that he had bribed the two to wait on them.

"Are you going to order or not Madame-moiselle?" the tall waiter asked through his teeth. His fake accent was wearing along with his patience.

"Don't rush me, okay?" Massie snapped, going back to the daiquiri section.

"She'll just have water," Derrick said flatly.

The waiter's accent returned. "Merci, your servers will be back with your orders shortly." He collected both menus and headed off into the kitchen, seemingly glad to have left them behind.

Massie rolled her eyes and started one of her independent-woman speeches, talking about how she could order for herself. Derrick completely ignored her, and waved for the Matre'd to queue the waiters.

"What're you waving at anyway?" She demanded, turning around. Derrick quickly waved for his friends to go back inside, earning annoyed glares and sucked teeth from all of them.

Hey, you would be mad to if you had to wear a shiny red vest in public.

"So, how do you like this place?" Derrick asked, shrugging at the Matre'd, who had his face scrunched in utter confusion.

"It's classy, but things are pretty cheap. I mean, the soups are _only_ thirty dollars," Massie said in her 'sophisticated' 'richer-and-better-than-thou' voice. Derrick wanted to rip his hair out and scream. One of _the_ fanciest places in town, and Massie Block didn't think it was expensive enough.

"How's that appetizer?" He gestured to the popcorn shrimp. Anything to change the subject.

"Fried," Massie replied, glaring at the shrimp. She looked like she wanted to stab it for being 'high in trans fat'. Derrick immediately put his popcorn shrimp down, and waved again.

Immediately, his friends forced smiles and lined up by the table, pouring water into their tall glasses. Massie arched an eyebrow at Josh, who was smiling so hard he looked like a thriller-movie Chucky-doll.

Massie excused the weird behavior, or at least Derrick hoped she had. She picked the glass up and took a dainty swig…if that was even possible.

"What the!?" Massie held her throat and began coughing, producing a small diamond ring.

Derrick's eyes expanded. He hadn't even thought that she could swallow the ring. Massie turned to him, a half disgusted, half amused look on her face. He nodded, and her eyes widened more than his.

"Ehmagawsh!" She sounded like she had just won a trophy. "YES!"

The nosy people surrounding them burst into applause, and Derrick's friends started singing some song from their first cruise together, all glaring at the man responsible for this. Oh yeah, Derrick Harrington would rue the day he made them sing in _shiny, blue vests_.

--

"_**Y**_ou're so lucky!" Dylan gasped.

"It's _gorgeous!_" Alicia whispered.

"Try it on!" Kristen urged.

They were crowded around Massie, who was flaunting her wedding ring like an exclusive, new Chanel purse. Claire had gasped when Massie first showed the girls, but more out of jealousy.

Massie's wring was more expensive. As a full-time actress, she felt that she should've been given the more romantic proposal.

_You would've had one if you were with Cam._

Claire shook her head, and squeezed in between Alicia and Kristen. They looked giddy, and in comparison, Claire looked like a morbid Goth.

"So, when is it?" Alicia giggled.

Perfect. They were already tired of talking about her engagement. Darn this celebrity spoiled-ness!

"I don't know," Massie said offhandedly. "But I'm bored of this, let's talk about something else."

_Wow. Massie Block, bored of talking about herself. The apocalypse! RUN!_

That was what Claire's instinct told her to do. Run. And that was what she did.

Run through the house, nearly trampling Bean and Massie's Pomeranian Beau.

Run past the carpool Rivera-Hotz Mercedes.

Run right into the old Briarwood Boys, who looked ready to jump someone.


	6. Flashbacks

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**AN: Thanks for voting! (COUGH!) I got one vote for B, which is break-up of Cikki! LoveJenn, did you know what it meant?**

**Nikki's response: Whatever. (Files nails)**

**Cam: Then who am I going to be with? What am I suddenly going to like Claire and then live happily ever after? Way to avoid clichéd-ness Angel!

* * *

**

"_**O**_w!" Josh Hotz rubbed his arm, and turned to see Claire pick herself up. "Could you not injure us right now? Maybe after we attack Derrick!"

Claire scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion, but mouthed "oh" when she remembered Massie talking about how they had worn shiny vests. She couldn't help looking at Cam expectantly, like he was supposed to tell Josh not to snap at her, no matter how frustrated he was. Cam was just looking off into space like he was in a daze.

"Well what're we waiting for, boys?" Chris pointed ahead like he was ready to charge. "Let's get him!" He, Josh and Kemp all charged maniacally over to the house, like when they were all twelve.

Cam brushed his shoulders off, and looked Claire in the eyes, like he wanted to say something desperately. His shifty gaze was as intense as it had always been, making Claire's heart rate rise. Why didn't Conner's eyes have the same effect? Was it just because both of his were green? Or was it for some other reason?

"Hey, uh, can you do me a favor?" Cam suddenly asked, startling Claire.

"Sure!" Okay, that sounded way too bubbly.

"What're you doing with your mouth?"

Claire realized that one of her nervous habits was in action, the pucker-face. _Oh gawd._ She shook her head frantically. "No! No, no, no! Uh, just continue!"

Cam gave her a weird look, but continued anyway. "I was wondering if you could ask around, you know. Since snooping _is _your thing."

Claire's face fell. Oh let that live forever, why don't we?!

"Hmph, well maybe. If you tell me one thing," she replied huffily, making no effort to hide her annoyance. "When did she come to Westchester, and why?"

She could only hope that didn't sound so ex-girlfriend-y.

"Okay then," Cam sighed, ignoring the blunt interrogation. "High school, in January. But we never spoke until February fourteenth."

--

_Cam picked up yet another sandwich, trying to look like he was over there for a real reason. Because the only girl he could ask was Olivia Ryan just made him look bad. Besides, she was way too perky. Not to mention the way she spastically flailed her arms in an attempt at dancing. The girl looked like an octopus in a wrestling match._

"_Boring, huh? I mean, they've been trying to pull off this stupid couples stuff since January," Nikki had said, joining him in eating all the snacks at the table._

"_Yeah. It sucks."_

_Nikki stopped for a while, before continuing. "I'm guessing you saw the news, huh? About your old girlfriend Clara and Conner Foley?"_

_Cam nodded grimly, not bothering to remind Nikki that the name was Claire, and not Clara. What did it matter anymore? She was probably going to become Mrs. Clara/Claire Foley, and he would be a hermit._

_And to think of all the things he did for her. Do you know how awful it was for him to dress in drag for the apology? Or to be used by Alicia? Okay, there was a story behind that, but that's for another time. And he couldn't count how many times Derrick and Plovert had asked him why he even had those clothes in the first place. He'd been Carmen Fisher for the rest of the month, all for her._

_Which was obviously nothing, since he was here stuffing his face with Nikki Dalton. She had the same lost look on her face, kind of betrayed and upset._

"_What's wrong with you?" Cam managed to ask, just as some slow song came on. The singer was practically cooing, and it made him feel queasy._

"_I was _supposed_ to be here with that guy over there," Nikki pointed to someone who was dancing with Olivia, only he wasn't thrashing like a maniac. "But it doesn't matter anyway, I just asked him so I would have a date."_

_Cam just nodded, and looked back towards the dance floor. Derrick was with Massie, giving everyone who saw him a thumbs-up and waggling his eyebrows. Chris and Kemp were switching between being nice and making a big show of Pigs-In-a-Blanket, just to torture Dylan. Josh was walking across the room to get Alicia some punch._

_Couples everywhere. Stupid February. Why did Valentine's Day actually have to be celebrated?_

"_So, what happens now?" Nikki asked, as another song came out of the DJ's speakers. Thankfully it wasn't anything like that last song. Instead, Rihanna's Please Don't Stop The Music filled the air._

"_Now? We have some fun."_

--

_Soon, nobody was even paying attention to the partners they were so in love with only a matter of seconds ago. All interest was turned to the two on the dance floor, who were probably having the most fun out of everyone in there. Even Massie Block stopped to look; head tilted to the side like she was considering something, but went back to dancing._

_It was hard to look away from the only "couple" that didn't seem stuffy, or like they were trying to look mature. Both of them mouthed the words subconsciously, like it was a habit. Eyes flashed, smiles revealed themselves, it was like they were having two dancing contests, like old friends even._

_Of course, with all that attention came the annoying questions once the song had ended._

"_Are you together?" The answer to this was of course, "no", but people just didn't listen these days._

"_How long?" This was especially annoying, since they had already denied the first question. Not only that, but the 'yeah rights' and 'mm-hmms' always seemed to follow._

_So, for the first time in a while, Cam Fisher stopped thinking about Conner and Claire, and had a great time with a friend._

_Huh, yeah right, a friend._

--

Claire felt slightly touched, and slightly hurt. They had cared enough to worry about her! Even if Nikki had gotten her name wrong. But, Cam had stopped being upset about her and Conner a long time ago. That was… disappointing.

"Uh, alright then," she admitted, biting her lip.

Why was it that you insisted on hearing something for yourself, and then wished that you never had? Was it because you wanted a different result? Well, Claire was kind of hoping that he would say something like she was just a rebound, or he was trying to make her jealous. That would've been nice…really nice.

"Okay then. So, how much do I owe you?" Cam took out a slightly tattered wallet, the same one he used to pay for their first date.

"No, it's okay," She couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. "You don't owe me a penny."

Suddenly, Conner felt like a huge mistake.

--

"_Would you look who it is! Molly from the Loser Movie!" Hadley Durk sneered, grabbing the stool next to Claire. "Heard about your other movies, they all sucked."_

_Claire gripped her glass harder, but refused to let Hadley get the satisfaction. It was like Massie all over again, only they had no chance of _ever _becoming friends. All she had to do was remain calm._

"_Hello! Wash-up! I'm talking to you!" Hadley waved a hand in Claire's face._

"_Hah! Look who's talking about wash-ups! Last time I checked, weren't you working at Burger King for minimum wage?" Claire hissed through a clenched smile. Hadley's smirk dropped._

"_It doesn't matter because…because…you suck! Oh! What now? It was in People magazine that your new movie wasn't even on the top ten!"_

"_You can take _People_, roll it up…" Claire stopped. This wasn't her! She never spoke to _anyone_ like that! So that was what they meant whenever people talked about how Hollywood changed you._

"_Ladies, ladies, please!" Conner Foley came behind the two and threw his arms around both of them. "No fighting, the press is around!"_

_Sure enough, there were a bunch of people trying not to be noticed. And yes, half of them carried cameras. Claire and Hadley exhaled loudly._

"_Thanks Conny," Hadley batted her eyelashes in a futile attempt at flirting._

"_I feel so sorry for you Conn," Claire smirked._

_Conner laughed and completely disregarded Hadley. "So, how about I buy you something? Latte or Cappucino?"_

_Claire looked directly at Hadley, feeling the Hollywood diva inside push her on. "You can get me dinner and a movie tonight at eight. I want to see a comedy."_

_She pushed the stool away and walked out of the store coolly, but her mind was elsewhere. Did this count as betrayal when he had specifically told her not to call? Probably not. This was her payback._

_And then she would leave Conner and marry Cam and live on a villa in England. Oh yeah, what a perfect plan._

_Just too bad the chance of that happening was zero to a trillion._


	7. NO SINGLES ALLOWED!

**Disclaimer: I think you all understand it by now.**

**AN: I've canceled the B/M thing, because it would be all too convenient if they ended up single. If I head for the clichéd side of things, that's no fun! So Ms and Bs are up to me:) **

**--**

_**C**_laire was regretting this right now so, so much. First of all, the last thing on Earth she wanted to do was talk to Nikki about Cam. The boy had nerve even asking her to get some information. Was this some sort of long-term punishment for leaving for LA? Second of all, she really didn't need to know about the flash back.

Why was it that you always wanted to see something with your own eyes (or hear it with your ears), but when you saw (heard) it, you wish you never did? That was so annoying. Like right now, Claire wished she'd never heard of that one night at the dance. It made her feel queasy. And to think they'd actually gotten together on a rebound.

Ugh, Claire really didn't need the mental image of her ex-boyfriend flirting with someone else. Or at least feeling some sort of spark.

"Claire, I'm going out," Conner called from the front door. Claire walked over to him instinctively, wondering why he was wearing a suit.

"Why are you all dressed up?"

Conner looked at his suit. "I would hardly call this dressed up for an ET interview." Claire's mouth formed into a huge "O", bringing a scowl out on his face. "But you wouldn't know that, since your mind is always elsewhere." He looked accusatory.

"What?" Claire asked, snapping back to reality. Conner's green eyes made a full three-sixty before he swung the door open.

"I'm taking the red one," Conner gestured sourly to the red Italian sports car that made its home in the driveway. The black and white cars were reserved for summer and winter, and stayed in the garage at all other times. Claire was absolutely speechless as he sped away, not even waiting for the ebony gates to swing open fully.

_Since your mind is always elsewhere…_

Claire's heart felt hollow and strange. Did that mean he could tell who she was always thinking about? Could Conner tell that her mind always wandered to the fact that he was now single? But more importantly, did Cam's newfound "freedom" have anything to do with her?

There was one person to ask, Claire realized with a pout. The same person who'd driven her off to L.A. with a simple text

_Nikki._

---

"_**H**_ey, it's Mr. Hollywood!" Kemp announced from where he was buried underneath bags of chips and such. He reached out a salty hand for Conner to shake. He "politely" refused.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods," Derrick smirked. He gave Conner a questioning look when he saw the beige suit he was wearing. Nowadays, Mr. Ego made sure he always looked his best. Either that, or like he was on his way to a calendar shoot. With big fame came big responsibility.

_Neck of the woods? Who said that anymore?_

"Well, I just have some news about the engagement. Mine and Claire's," Conner's eyes glinted, especially when he paused to give Cam the glare of death. "We're having it sooner. It's going to be in early May instead of mid-May. And also, it's a date thing; no girl, no showing up."

Each of the boys exchanged glances, and Conner tried to hide his smug expression. That was always the hardest part of lying. But, he wasn't an Oscar nominee for his devilishly handsome face.

"Does Claire know about this?" Kemp finally asked, obviously regretting the fact that he'd broken up with Dylan.

"Oh yeah, she's all for it!" Conner nodded. Lying to these clowns was too easy.

Cam nodded slowly, and returned to his giant Pepsi. Conner looked at his watch like he had to go meet with some fussy wedding planner, and headed out the door, trying hard not to burst out laughing. Just like that and Ms. I-Can't-Leave-You-Alone-'s ex was out of the picture. Was it really that easy to get rid of the competition?

_Apparently so._

The sound of the tires screeching on the pavement was music to Conner's ears. He probably wouldn't be hearing much from Mr. Fisher anymore, and neither would Claire.

---

"_**I **_feel your pain, man," Derrick said in a voice that was apparently supposed to make Cam feel better. "I know you weren't suddenly in love with her or anything, but to kick you out of her own wedding – that's harsh."

Cam sighed. "I'm not getting kicked out," he replied. "I'm going to be there! _With_ a date." That comment got some amused looks.

"What're you going to do? Write some sappy apology letter?" Derrick snorted. "_Maybe this decision was our worst thing!"_ He started singing old Ney-yo lyrics, horribly off-key. The other boys stepped back, except for Kemp, who just reached into another Lays chip bag.

"NO!" Cam scoffed.

"Yes you are," Chris smirked. "Because you're the sappy romantic one, _Carmen Fisher!_ Why did you pack women's clothes on that trip at Lake Placid, _Carmen Fisher_?"

Cam gave Chris a flat look. Why did that always manage to come up somehow? He wasn't some big marshmallow! What, were they his mother now? Thinking he was some sensitive little baby at this age?

It didn't matter, because he'd prove it to them. To Claire too! She wasn't going to ban him from the wedding, just because he'd refused to get back with her back in _middle school_! He_ was _going to show up_ with _a date.

---

"_**U**_gh!"

That was the first thing Massie said (well, really scoffed) when Claire walked into the spa room, where the girls were getting special treatments. Claire gave her friend a look, wondering what was her problem? Weren't having edible avocado facial masks, having a burly-looking woman stuff cotton balls between your toes, and putting cucumbers with stinging juices supposed to be relaxing?

"Are you trying to get Kristen kicked out of the wedding?" Massie snapped, peeking out from a cucumber. "Couples only? You just can't stop thinking about him, can you? Just because you still like him-"

"Mass, what're you talking about?" Claire's eyes were wide.

"Ugh, just forget it. Derrick was saying that you guys decided to make this a couple's thing. You know perfectly well that Kristen broke off from her pro soccer star! It was all over the tabloids!" Massie was in defensive mode, and Claire knew better from experience to object.

But what was this girl even talking about? Couples stuff? Was it something, Lorna, the wedding planner had tossed in last minute? Conner had mentioned something about the wedding being a little earlier – but she hadn't been paying attention.

Of course. That was what this was about. Conner Foley, Mr. Ego, was actually jealous! But he didn't have to be, right?

"CLAIRE! STOP SMIRKING!" Kristen barked, looking up from the vinyl tile floor. Claire stopped, and took her seat quickly. Massie and the girls were not getting the "relaxation" part of a spa, and she didn't want to make things worse.

"Come on girls!" Alicia said, trying not to crack her mask. "We came here for a girls' night out! Forget about the boys!" She put the cucumbers back over her eyes, and sighed contentedly.

"Leesh is right," Massie commanded, her voice a little more relaxed. "So let's just lie down and relax." She and Kristen both reached inside the Junior Mint bowl, looking at peace with the world. Dylan was eating the mask.

Claire closed her eyes too, and forced herself to think of other things. Like the colors for bridesmaids' dresses. Landon Dorsey (Who was like, sixty-two), had suggested – actually, picked out gold dresses.

Wait, who'd taken her place at Alicia's wedding? The image of Nikki fighting past Kristen and Dylan to catch a bouquet of flowers played itself in Claire's mind. Then, Cam sitting in one of the rows, smirking with Derrick replaced it.

_Gah!_ Why did he have to haunt her so? Well there was one good thing about this couple's wedding. Cam Fisher would be at home, watching the videotape on _Acess Hollywood_.

---

_**C**_am sat impatiently in the booth at the diner, and drummed his fingers on the table. The sixties-style jukebox in the back played fuzzy music from _Hairspray, _and added to the strange feel of the coffee shop. Maybe that theme was good for a candy bar, but..._an expresso bar?_

"So, what'll it be doll face?" The waitress asked. Cam tried not to make a face. He always hated it when people did that. The fact that the waitress was about five times his age and seemed to be flirting kind of grossed him out.

"Just coffee, _for two_," He made sure to emphasize that, wanting the waitress – Floe to leave.

"A break-up, huh?" Floe asked like she was some all-knowing being. "Well, a coffee shop is a classic break-up spot! Maybe once it's over, you could find _someone else_." That Floe needed to give him his darn coffee and stop talking!

The door opened, and the silver bell above it rang, and Nikki walked in, looking bored. Floe looked over at her and scowled. Cam tried his hardest not to smirk at the woman's harsh expression.

"So, what's this about?" Nikki had an eyebrow raised, like she was skeptical of the whole thing.

Cam just handed her a magazine that had come out, announcing that there was a change in plans for the wedding. There were some other parts, like the Night-In-Paris theme, but they weren't important.

"I knew this was about Claire." Nikki had a sarcastic triumph in her voice.

"Well if she's going this far to keep me out just because of stuff that happened years ago, then yeah," Cam replied flatly, glaring at the empty spot on the table where his French Vanilla coffee should've been.

"Well, I _should_ say no, _but_…" She tapped her chin. "That is pretty low. So I'm going to say yes."

As she finished her sentence, Floe reappeared. "Oops! I forgot her coffee!" She sneered. She leaned closer to Cam, who was trying to enjoy the drink in peace. "I've seen so much better. Call me after this is over!"

She slipped him a napkin, and he almost choked.


	8. Sandra

**Disclaimer: Yes I just own the plot, and the rest is somebody elses. Who's? Uh, SCOTT WESTERFELD! Just kidding! Lisi Harrison.**

**AN: Ah, I loved creating Floe! That was fun! 0;) Please don't get annoyed because of Cam's great addiction to coffee! Also, this is a filler FYI.**

* * *

**_C_**onner Foley scowled involuntarily when he saw the two walk casually up to him. It wasn't really a walk, more of a swagger. Well, Shaggy-Haired One was always swaggering. Genetically-Blue-And-Green-Eyed-One-Cough!-Contacts was even looking smug. What had the blond one rubbed off on him somehow? And no, Conner hadn't found their names important enough to remember.

"Yes?" Conner finally growled. It wasn't becoming of him, but he was too annoyed to care. What, had they followed him into the store?

"Cameron here," Shaggy-Haired One put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Would like to RSVP 'yes' to the wedding." He looked proud of himself, like Conner was supposed to scream like a girl and hug them. Cough, no!

Genetically-Mutated-Dude nodded. Shaggy-Haired-One cleared his throat to continue, as if everyone in the store was bursting to interrupt him.

Drama Queen much?

"He would also like for you and Claire to know that he and Nikki will be there, possibly in the third row! Look for the not-as-handsome-as-Derrick man in the dark grey, and the girl in the whatever girls say is in these days." Shaggy-Haired-One ran a hand through his floppy strands when he said "not-as-handsome".

Conner tried his hardest not to say something sarcastic. Instead, he nodded, and waited to see if "Derrick" would continue. When he didn't, Conner nodded again. "Okay, I'll expect to see you there. So will Claire."

NOT!

Marriage was all about giving up the "I's" for an "Us". How Conner despised that saying. But now, he was making sure to abide by it. Since his fiancé couldn't take advantage of that saying and actually stay with him, he'd do it. Not telling her was better for both of them. Maybe she could stop drooling over other guys.

As "Derrick" and Contacts-Cough!-Dude shuffled off, Conner decided that keeping his arrival away from Claire was the best thing to do for their relationship.

Yes, he really was the perfect fiancé.

--

**_T_**here were a number of reasons Conner preferred talking to Cassandra (a.k.a. Sandra) more than he liked talking to Claire. For one thing, Cassandra could actually keep her eyes in her head at the presence of any of her exes. She would merely wave to Trent Walker/Tony Simms/Kemp Hurley/Bryce Rayon, and continue with her life. There was no miserable stare.

Another thing was that Sandra didn't angst. Oh yeah, when Claire thought Conner couldn't see her, she'd sit down and sigh like a teen with a broken heart. On the other hand, Sandra, when she was feeling down, would talk about it, and eat the three cures for any girly mood problems. Chocolate, sugar, and salt.

So when Conner decided to speak with Sandra, it was no big shock. Well only to those who lived for Access Hollywood. They gave him dirty looks when they saw him sitting on a bench in the Westchester mall, laughing over two bowls of Baskin Robin's ice cream.

Why wouldn't they? Sandra looked like the kind of person a movie-star would be seen with. No, she wasn't a drop-dead gorgeous super model from some foreign country. Though people said she'd probably make it to the final round of America's Next Top Model for her eyes. Cat-shaped and dark brown, usually shaded in gold. Not that Conner noticed eye shadow or anything like that. Some weird-o stalker fan girl had said that. In fact, Claire became annoyed with him constantly for his lack of caring when asked a makeup question. It wasn't his fault that she could never decide between "Sparkly Silver" or "Glamorous Green".

"So he told you he's going to show up with…Nikki? Wasn't she who he was with before?" Sandra asked, picking up a crumbled Oreo and eating it.

"Yeah. What's your point? I'm going to have to say my vows while she stares at him," Conner replied bitterly, stabbing a lump of cookie dough. Cookie dough ice cream with crumbled Oreos was their usual tradition. If one of them even so much as sampled another flavor, (say, fudge ripple), they had to pay for the next ten lunches. Conner had lost a lot of money that way.

"Well, does Cam seem to have an interest in Claire?" Sandra was probably the expert. She was a part-time psychiatrist (the fun kind, not the stuffy, boring ones), and could tell how both genders felt. It was strange, if not super helpful. Conner had never met a girl who understood guys so much in his life. That was possibly the reason people respected her so much. (Except for the Access Hollywood, obsessed-with-couples, dirty-look-givers glaring at them at the moment.)

"No. He doesn't."

"Really?" This seemed to perk Sandra's interest. Conner just blinked like a clueless puppy. Why was it he felt like he could act clueless around her?

"Yeah really," he finally scoffed. "What's your point?" He made a stubborn face and stabbed at a lump of cookie dough again. He was a handsome young man, in his opinion at least.

"Well then get them together. Cam and Nikki," Sandra smiled. "They're going to be acting all couple-y if my suspicions are correct." (Ninety-nine point five percent of the time, they were). "It won't take much."

Conner thought for a moment, absentmindedly stirring the now-melting desert. "You know what Sandra?" He said finally. "You're a genius."

Sandra folded her tan arms behind the bench, satisfied. "Tell me something I don't know."

--

"**_I_**s this really necessary?" Cam asked, his voice muffled. He couldn't believe how much these things weighed! Any more time, and his arms would fall off.

"Oh come on, take it like a man. What was that Derrick was always saying? Strength is a sign of manliness?" Nikki asked. She was probably smiling, but he couldn't see her.

"Carrying your shopping bags _killed_ the manliness," Cam insisted flatly. He grimaced when Nikki threw a shoe box on the pile. Did she not hear him? Well, probably not, since the Chanel bag was smothering him half to death.

"Boo-hoo," Nikki smirked, taking the top shopping bag out of his hands. Cam sighed; feeling like ten tons had just been removed from his shoulders. He was shocked to look inside and see that what had weighed so much were merely shoe boxes, with everything from boots to flip-flops. Didn't Nikki already have enough shoes to last her a lifetime? What, did her shoes wear themselves out every month?

Cam put another bag down, and found he was able to manage the other ones better that way. "Please tell me we're going to stop for some food!" He called from behind a massive DKNY bag. "I think my blood sugar's low, and I'm not a diabetic!"

"Well, I was going to stop at D&G and get some sunglasses, but you've convinced me otherwise. Alright, we can go."

The food court was practically crowded, but Cam spotted Alicia and Josh about a mile away. She was the only one in a fur coat, despite the warm April weather. She, like Nikki, was forcing Josh to carry twice his weight in bags from D&G, Juicy, Steve Madden, and Dior.

"Hey!" Josh called, waving Cam over. He was probably looking for an excuse to put down the bags. Cam was okay with that! He dropped his and shuffled over.

"What're you doing with all those bags?" Alicia asked suspiciously. She folded her arms, and Cam couldn't help but notice how thick the fur on the coat was. Was it faux fur or was it real? He was proud to say he didn't know. What self-respecting guy did anyway? (Other than Jay, his old roommate.)

"Actually, those weren't mine," Cam pointed over at Nikki, who was carrying a pizza box over to a table. Josh nodded, rubbing his sore arms. Alicia looked shocked, like she had expected him to be there with someone else. Who? Tyra Banks? Beyonce? Ashley Tisdale? Or even more outrageous, Claire?

"You're here with her?" Alicia finally gasped, like this was the most shocking news ever. By her facial expression, you'd think Martians had just landed on Earth. Or that she found out what really was in BOCD's mystery meat. After a while, Burnz (who was like, eighty-seven), had decided to leave the school co-ed when she realized that the boys and girls didn't know how to act in the same environment. Sometimes Cam felt like the OCD girls still didn't know. Especially now, with Alicia gaping at him for unknown reasons.

Cam nodded and tried to think of an excuse to leave. It might've sounded rude, but you wouldn't have liked it if all somebody did was stare at you over something as small as being at the mall with Nikki. So, he shuffled off, where a giant slice of stuffed crust pizza was waiting for him. But, on the way to the table, he distinctly heard Alicia ask Josh:

"Should we tell Claire? Does it still matter?"

And to be honest, (which he has been with you for the past few days), he would rather they not tell her. Besides, what good was a little, innocent revenge plan if you knew it was coming? But one that would come as a complete surprise?

_Priceless._


	9. The Happiest Day of a Girl's Life

**Disclaimer:**** I-do-not-own! (IN robot voice)**

**AN: La Wedding is here! (In corny French Accent) The After Party, next chapter!**

* * *

_**Y**_ou know how the bride always freaks out before the wedding? How she throws a hissy fit over the smallest things, like if she didn't get the right bouquet? And how the groom is just left there to stand in the background and whistle while his future wife has a complete meltdown, telling his friends it's just nerves?

Well, every paparazzi photographer who'd been able to get a glimpse of the bride's nervous panic attack took out their cameras and snapped away. Yes, they could see the headline now:

_Claire Lyons freaks just before vows! Why? Find out on page twenty-three!_

Massie and Dylan were patting Claire's back, both biting their bottom lips. What were they going to tell the press, who would most likely attack them when they got outside? That the bride couldn't come outside until the person in the third row was escorted out? Uh, they didn't think so.

"But it's supposed to be a couples' only thing! What is he doing here?" Claire hissed, glaring at a bouquet of red and pink roses, like the flowers had invited him. "This is terrible! How did he get in?" She saw Dylan open her mouth, but silenced her with a glare. This frantic Claire was scaring everyone in the room. "Get security to get rid of him!" She sneered, mascara starting to run down her face.

"You're overreacting!" Massie snapped, making sure that her tone was even more vicious than Claire's. "The press is right outside, and they would love this story, so stop crying or they'll get to hear that you're crying because someone unexpected showed up."

Claire immediately stopped, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"Okay," Massie softened her tone, but only by a little. "You're not going to let him ruin your life, got that? You picked Connor. You love…" Her amber eyes narrowed, and Claire's blue ones widened.

"Oh no."

"No!" Claire shook her head quickly.

"_Ddddrrrraaaaaammmmaaaaaa!"_ Dylan sang, turning away from the doors. She'd been peeking in at everyone. "This is like a soap opera! Only everything is worse! It's your life!" She stopped talking when Massie shot her a glare, and Claire broke into sobs again. This was going to be a _long_ day.

--

"_**O**_h come on!" Kemp groaned from his seat in the third row. "She's taking forever!" A bunch of heads whipped around, and he received about sixteen nasty glares from grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and paparazzi. He quieted his voice, and leaned over to Derrick.

"I thought celebrity weddings were supposed to be glamorous and fun!" Kemp snorted. "If it was going to be such a good church-mouse little wedding I would've stayed home." An elderly lady in a lavender suit glared over, holding the top of her purple hat with one hand, and putting a finger to her lips with the other.

"I thought it was a couples wedding," lavender-suit lady croaked, giving Kemp a harsh glare. "What are you doing here?"

"Searching, duh!" Kemp replied, ignoring the biting sarcasm in her voice. "And what're you doing here? I'm sure your husband left you if you have that sourpuss attitude!"

Derrick sighed heavily, moving in his itchy suit. Massie was never picking his clothes again. He didn't see why he couldn't have worn some cargo shorts. It wasn't like Claire would actually care about his attire. Conner might've, but nobody cared about him. Wasn't he going back to Los Angeles anyway?

The organ player wiped his brow with a white handkerchief, and started playing _here comes the bride_ for about the fourth time in a row. Kemp groaned like a kid who'd just been handed a pop quiz. Finally, the doors opened, and Massie rushed over to stand with the other bridesmaids.

"Miss me?" She smirked, picking up a program.

"Sh!" Derrick instructed, turning his attention to the front. Even though he wasn't _as_ rude as Kemp, he did want Claire to hurry up. Could she walk any slower? She was biting her lip, and her eyes were wide, like she had cold feet. If she did, Derrick would run up there and slap her for making him wear this stupid dinner suit. Even in his twenties, Derrick Harrington did not do fancy clothes.

"Oh come on!" Kemp screamed. "I'm missing the game!" He was shushed again, but Claire picked up the pace by a little.

By the time she reached the minister, Kemp looked like he might die of boredom. Massie was beaming with pride, along with Dylan and Alicia. Kristen, unlike Kemp, had failed to sneak into the wedding unnoticed.

--

"_**D**_early beloved, we are here to bond these two in holy matrimony," The priest began in his slow, gravely voice.

"Can you uh, speed this up?" Conner muttered, so that the others wouldn't hear. A smile came to the priest's face, and it was obvious that he had plans too. Either that, or he understood the life of a Hollywood actor. It was probably the first one.

"Conner Foley, do you take Claire Lyons to be your lawful wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, for the rest of your life?"

"I do."

The crowd smiled, and they 'awed', even though there hadn't been any of the romantic 'love at first sight' speeches. Kemp's 'aaww' came about ten seconds late, echoing all around the church. Conner shot Claire a 'who invited him' look.

Claire's face felt frozen. Her heart was thumping, and she could feel her palms start to sweat. This was one of those 'life altering' moments, where her next move would determine her future _forever_. Her eyes slid to the second row, where Cam and Nikki were seated looking up at her expectantly. Half of Claire wanted to go and push them apart, but the other half wanted to be a good little girl and just say yes to Conner.

"Claire Lyons," the priest said, seeming to speak slowly. It was like he was building up the suspense. Claire realized with a start that it must've been how the contestants of American Idol felt when Ryan Seacrest took his sweet time announcing who would be eliminated.

"Do you take Conner Foley to be your lawful wedded husband…?"

Locking eyes with Cam, Claire felt her armpits sweat when he moved about a whole inch closer to Nikki. It took every acting tip she'd ever learned not to wince when he whispered something in her ear, and Nikki giggled, looking up at Claire.

"In sickness and in health…"

Claire's heart was beating so fast that she was sure that everyone could see it thumping. She felt like a hot, sweaty mess, and was sure that the press was going to love all of the embarrassing photos. Swallowing hard, she started to feel faint.

"For better or for worse…"

Taking a big gulp, she willed herself to stay awake. Her heart was going faster and faster, like it was trying to slam its way out of her ribcage.

"For rich or for poor… for the rest of your life?" The priest asked, smiling warmly.

"I…don't…" Claire felt dizzy and lightheaded, and the next thing she knew, she was staring up at the ceiling.

--

_**W**_hen she awoke, all she saw was black hair, and smudges of green. Everything was blurred, even the voice that patiently asked:

"_What's your answer?"_

"_Huh?" _She mumbled, feeling her forehead. She couldn't tell if it was her imagination, or if the mass of colors smiled at her.

"_Do you?"_

Claire tried to sit up, but she felt nauseous. _"I do?" _She asked, raising a hand to touch the blur's face. Was it Cam? Who was it? Was she dead?

"_I now pronounce you husband and wife_."

There were claps and cheers in the pews, and Claire's vision returned to normal. Conner's cocky smirk was still on. Everyone cheered, like this was something to celebrate. But, in Claire's heart, it was something to dread.

* * *

**What do you think will happen in the afterparty? Will she admit the truth, or will she stay a good little girl? More importantly, what would Cam say?**


	10. Face the Music

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed**

**AN: I was so unsure what to do with this!**

_**E**_very eye widened, and every mouth hung agape. Somewhere, someone dropped their glass on the marble floor, and blood red liquid seeped into the satin shoes of Massie, Dylan, and Alicia. Dylan had frozen in a ready jumping position, even though there had been no bouquet throwing. Conner looked shocked and even slightly _amused_. Wait a second…why was he looking like he'd just been entertained?

"What was that?" Massie asked, looking like she'd been shell-shocked. Well, why wouldn't she have been? Claire had only said the most stunning thing she could've possibly said – unless she decided to say that she wasn't really a girl. Only something like that could've matched up to the kick in the teeth that it was.

Claire gulped and looked at all of her guests. "I said I can't marry him. I made a mistake with my life."

The crowd gasped in complete disbelief. Hadn't she just said '_I do'_? Didn't those life changing words mean enough? How could she take them back just like that? Words of true love were meant only for the ones you truly loved. Did that mean she didn't truly love Conner?

"I…" Claire took a shaky breath and looked back at the audience. "I don't love him. I love someone else."

Another gasp echoed through the ballroom. But this was more out of alarm than actual astonishment. She'd been with him through college after all, who else was there to love? Why would she wait until after the wedding to announce it?

"I'm sorry Conner," Claire's eyes burned and a lump rose in her throat. It was probably the fact that she was fighting tears that stopped her from hyperventilating or throwing up on him. She put the ring back in his hand and closed it, ending it without any words.

Facing the press, Conner gave her a smile that made her think of a vampire or a werewolf. Claire considered backing away, but decided it was better to face whatever he was going to say. She'd put him through too much all of this time to just run like a coward. Claire had to face the music.

Conner closed his hands around the ring, and took a deep breath. "I was supposed to get married today." He projected his voice to the back of the ballroom, so that even the paparazzi would hear this latest twist. "And I still will. Sandra…"

The crowd parted to reveal a shocked looking woman in a golden yellow dress. The lump in Claire's throat got ten times bigger, but she reminded herself that it would be hypocritical to say anything about it. After all, she'd started the whole thing, and the press was there.

'Sandra' stepped forwards, mouth still open. "W-what?"

"Just say the words." Conner urged. Claire turned her back to him and faced the audience.

_These are a few of my favorite things…_

Claire took a deep breath, shaking like she was in an earthquake. "I love someone else, like I just said." She paused for dramatic effect. "And that someone else is…Cameron Fisher."

The crowd parted once more, but nobody was there. Claire's stomach somehow climbed up into her throat, and a tingle went down her spine. Nikki wasn't there either. Power-walking through the crowd as fast as her heels could take her, Claire got read to move.

_Face the music…face the music…face the music…_

_--_

_**C**_am shoved his hands into the pocket of his dark grey suit. He missed his leather jacket so much! But, that wasn't the reason he was out in the hallway, instead of with the crowd, who'd been gasping for some reason. After the first toast, he'd slipped out, sending Nikki a text message to come with him.

"Okay, I'm here," Nikki sat down on the tacky lobby couch, and Cam sat down next to her, heaving a sigh. He sounded like this was going to cause some kind of physical pain.

"Yeah…" he stalled, reaching in his pocket. It was now or never. He took the item out and handed it to her, taking a deep breath.

"A CD?" Nikki asked, taking it. There was no cover, just a silver disc paper CD envelope. What was that supposed to mean anyway? Wasn't that what he used to do for Claire? If she saw _Potential Breakup Song_ on there, he was going to get slapped.

"Read the play list."

There was only one song on the whole CD. Nikki scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, and squinted to read Cam's handwriting. When she saw what it said, a huge smile spread across her face.

_Please Don't Stop the Music – Rhianna_

"Take the CD out." Cam instructed, feeling a little braver now.

Nikki took the CD out, and saw that behind it, (somehow), had been a small gold ring with _C&N _engraved on it. Small rubies gleamed on it. "Is this an engagement ring?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"It wasn't right before. Now it is."

"I think you already know what I'm going to say," Nikki smiled. "I remember back when I was eleven, I used to dream of this moment."

"Oh really?" Cam sounded amused. Before she could even reply, he leaned forwards, and their lips met. And things felt kind of right, until the sound of stilettos echoed into the room. Nikki broke off and gasped at her. Claire gasped to, and ran off.

"Should I go after her?" Nikki asked, looking after her with concern. One of Claire's shoes had flown off of her feet and lay before them, like Cinderella's glass slipper. Just too bad her Prince Charming had been busy with another princess.

"No, I'll go," Cam sighed. He got up and walked over, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

--

_**C**_laire leaned against a stall, letting all of the tears she'd been holding back fall. How could she have been so stupid? Planning out her entire future with a boy who hadn't returned one of her calls from ten years ago. And then even worse, she'd gotten with Conner, planning out some stupid dream where she would break up with Conner and something about a villa in England. Only half of that had come true, and Conner had easily gone and decided to marry that _Sandra_.

_Sandra. S. The ring._

It all clicked. Conner had known that she would do something stupid like that. Since the day they'd moved back into Westchester. He knew that she'd been preoccupied with Cam all the while, and had decided to go for that Sandra. By the look on her face, Sandra didn't seem to know about it, but Claire didn't care. She hated her all the same.

"Claire?" There was banging on the door.

"Go away!"

The door opened anyway. Cam walked in, looking slightly embarrassed. Probably because he'd been caught in a PDA. Claire scowled at him, wiping her eyes.

"This is the girls' bathroom!" She snapped. He ignored her.

"What happened in there?" He asked, looking at the fichus by the door. "I heard people gasping." Claire felt her knees turn to jelly when she saw his flushed face, but it felt like a stake had been stabbed through her heart.

"Too busy with someone else? Well if you must know, I said that I loved you. I don't know why, but for some stupid reason, I thought that we'd be able to just live happily ever after."

Claire looked away and walked over to the mirror, splashing herself with water. Mascara was running down her face, and her face looked pale, making her blush look like pink war paint. She looked a mess. Some way to spend her wedding day.

"Claire, it's been years. That was when we were twelve. You ran away and never came back – you can't have seriously thought that I'd wait for you all that time, right?"

_Yes!_

Claire didn't answer. She just looked at her feet and sniffled loudly. It sounded dumb. She was an idiot. And now she realized it. Fairy tale endings were for fairy tales. Because in real life, there was always a sequel with new problems. And not every problem had a good solution.

"I just feel so stupid!" Claire sighed, turning away from the mirror.

"Are you going to be okay?" Cam asked softly. He reached for the door handle. Claire nodded, and leaned back on the door. "Okay." It was all over.

The minute he left, she shed even more tears.

* * *

**Wasn't that disappointing for those who wanted a happy Clam ending?**


	11. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed**

**AN: I hope you had fun reading it! To answer reader's questions, there's an epilogue, and possibly a sequel. I decided that it wouldn't be fair to end it with Claire heartbroken, because then any possible sequel would just be the same as this – her loving him the usual, bla bla bla.**

**Epilogue**

* * *

_**C**_laire smiled at herself in the mirror, eyes twinkling. It was only two weeks from that disastrous day, and she was already greeting the day with a smile. Fluffing her hair one more time, she felt genuinely _happy_. It was a beautiful feeling, but it felt so fragile and new.

"Kuh-laire! Hurry up! _He's_ going to be here soon!" Massie's playful voice rang out, followed by the giggles of Dylan and Alicia.

Claire grabbed her purse and bounded down the stairs, not caring if her hair (which took an hour to curl) got a little messy. _He_ said that he liked it better like that anyway. She grabbed the shoes that Alicia had picked out and slipped them on, not even bothering to complain about the towering heel. If she fell, _he'd_ be there to catch her anyway.

"Breath mint," Kristen shoved a pack of emergency tic-tacs into Claire's hand. "Save them for before and after the dinner, and sneak one just before he drops you off."

Claire rolled her eyes. "I know what to do, Kris!"

"That's what your girlfriends are for," Massie smirked, and the others nodded their agreement. Claire giggled like a schoolgirl, but still joined into a group hug.

"Okay, don't want to be sweaty and hot!" Dylan said, breaking Claire apart. "Don't eat any food with a serious overload of onions, garlic, or cottage cheese."

"Don't eat anything creamed, spinach or corn," Alicia added, her smile matching Claire's.

"Sodas and fast cars are a serious no, avoid strong alcoholic beverages. Don't sip anything too hard, or burp if you drink anything fizzy."

"Run to the bathroom and make sure that there aren't any pieces of food in your mouth. And if you must burp, do so in the bathroom." Alicia gave Dylan a glare when she said 'burp'.

"Don't flip your hair too much, it'll get in your food," Dylan reminded her. "And it'll make you look weird. But if you must, tell him that you have a neck cramp and ask him to massage it."

Claire rolled her eyes again and sighed dreamily. Something told her that this was going to work out perfectly. A honk echoed outside, and each girl practically jumped out of their skin. Claire slipped the shoes on and casually walked outside, trying to mask her excitement.

"Sure you're okay?" _He_ asked, smiling that smile of his. It almost made her melt, but Claire kept a straight face.

"Yeah, I got over it. I'm pretty fast on the rebound if you haven't noticed already."

"Forget Cam, he's stupid." _He_ leaned in closer. "I think I dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Don't tell my mom I said that."

Claire threw her head back and laughed. Her laugh felt so unused and rusty, but she was glad to be using it all the same. "That's _so_ smart, Harris."

Harris shrugged, and revved the engine. "Ready to go babe?"

"Of course!" Claire waved to the girls as the silver Porsche eased out of the cobblestone driveway. Harris hit the pedal and they sped off, leaving tire marks on the otherwise spotless street.

"Our little Claire's growing up!" Massie whispered. The other girls pulled her into a hug. "Okay, I'm not _that_ depressed."

--

**_"R_**eservations, Fisher, table for four," Harris told the brunette behind the podium. She nodded, and grabbed two more menus, leading them back towards their booth. Being at A Slice of Heaven felt so nostalgic, and Claire couldn't help but smile again. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Aaw, would you look at the happy couple," Nikki cooed, moving over so Claire could sit down. Claire did so without the usual feeling of being punched in the stomach. It was amazing how much one little difference can change everything. The difference would've been Harris.

"You're the one with the ring around your finger," Claire smirked, eyeing the ruby ring casually. Since the wedding, rubies had filled her with contempt, but there was no real reason anymore. Especially since Kristen had seen Harris looking at peridot ones.

Claire smiled and made small talk with Cam and Nikki, until she felt something jab her. Taking the piece of paper, she unfolded it and read it under the table.

_No hard feelings?_

Claire locked eyes with Cam, and shook her head. The look on his face said that being friends was just right.

--

**_S_**andra put her fork down and looked up at Conner, genuine concern on her face. The question had been haunting her for the longest while now, and she needed to know.

"Con? Did you ever really love Claire?"

Conner looked up from the sirloin steak he'd been cutting, and gave her a strange look. "Yeah. Why else would I have proposed?"

"Then what was that at the wedding?" She absentmindedly fiddled with the ring around her finger. After he sighed, she looked up to meet his eyes. They were filled with innocence, like a begging puppy.

"Because, I figured out she never loved me. And once you see it that way, it's pretty easy to get over it. Especially when there's someone you feel special with right in front of you." His voice was dripping with un-Conner like sincerity, and Sandra wondered if he was okay.

"So is that why you were always asking me for advice?" Sandra asked skeptically, picking her fork back up. "You weren't really trying to patch things up?"

"No I wasn't," Conner admitted. "But it didn't matter, because things were long past torn apart. And everyone's happy now anyway. Especially me." He smirked again, back to his old self.

"Just checking," Sandra's smirk matched his.

--

**_"H_**ow was it?" Massie demanded, the minute Claire got back.

"Did he give you anything?" Alicia piped up, watching the car disappear.

"Did you kiss him?" Dylan asked in awe, emerald eyes wide.

"Who else was there?" Kristen smiled, patting the spot next to her on the leather couch.

"I should've scheduled a press conference!" Claire laughed. "It was ah-mazing, there's a star named Claire now, yes, and Cam and Nikki were there too."

"Did that bother you?" Kristen asked softly, patting her friend's shoulder.

"No, we're friends now. No hard feelings." Claire replied dreamily. The others rolled their eyes at her dazed expression.

"Someone had a good time," Massie grinned. "And now you're going to have one with us!" She raised a wine glass into the air, and the other girls followed suit.

"To being back in Westchester!" Alicia proposed.

"To being back in Westchester!" The others repeated. Claire giggled for the thousandth time that day, and stretched, feeling content. You know what they say, _Home is where the heart is._

**At least she had a happy ending!**

* * *


End file.
